Injuries, rookies and roster resets aren’t reasons to scapegoat a GM.
The Dallas Mavericks didn’t fire Nico Harrison because of a long-term failure. They fired him because it was easy. And because fans were mad.
That’s the only way to explain why a front office exec—who made bold moves, absorbed risk, and landed the franchise the No. 1 overall pick—is now out of a job before the team ever had a real shot to prove itself.
Start with the obvious: Harrison traded Luka Dončić. That move, by itself, placed a permanent target on his back. When a franchise deals a generational talent, fans expect immediate justification. But that was never realistic. In return, Harrison brought in Anthony Davis and future flexibility—a bet on star power and defensive identity. But that bet was undermined almost immediately.
Davis strained his right calf early in the 2025 season and has already missed several games. He also missed time after being traded to the Mavericks late last season, continuing a pattern of unavailability that’s disrupted any rhythm the team hoped to build around him. Veteran big man Daniel Gafford had been sidelined with an ankle sprain. Dereck Lively II, expected to take another step forward in his third season, also missed time early in the season with a right knee sprain. The Mavericks’ core frontcourt never got off the ground. That’s not mismanagement. That’s misfortune.
The situation becomes even clearer when you consider the rest of the context. Cooper Flagg, the top pick in the 2025 draft, is still adjusting to NBA pace and physicality. He’s shown flashes, but he’s an 18-year-old being asked to stabilize a shaky roster. And Kyrie Irving? Out until early 2026 after suffering a torn ACL.
So the Mavericks—without their best guard, with their top three bigs missing early games, and relying on a teenager—underperformed. Of course they did.
Firing Harrison won’t change any of that. It won’t speed up Flagg’s development. It won’t get Davis, Lively, or Gafford all together on the floor any faster. It won’t rewind Irving’s knee.
But it does give the appearance of accountability. That’s the point. This is not a strategic decision. This is PR. Harrison became the symbol of fan frustration after the Dončić trade, and ownership gave the crowd what it wanted—a sacrifice.
It’s worth remembering: if Harrison hadn’t traded Dončić, the Mavericks likely wouldn’t have landed in the draft lottery. There’s a real chance Cooper Flagg is wearing another uniform right now. That deal didn’t just reset the roster—it reset the timeline.
Was it a gamble? Yes. But it was a calculated one. Harrison chose a direction. And now, nine months later, before the roster has had a chance to gel, he’s out.
Mavericks ownership didn’t fire Nico Harrison because the plan failed. They fired him because the optics did. That’s not leadership—it’s deflection.
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